56: Chapter 56: The Magic Academy Seems Likely to Have Some Potential

Back in reality, to save time, Zhang Mu ran directly to a shop selling Chinese herbal medicine and bought a batch of herbs needed for brewing magic potions and healing potions.

Putting them into his inventory, he summoned a portal and arrived in the Other World.

He had originally planned to find a remote and deserted corner outside the city to hide the herbs.

But because the labyrinth was about to open, a large number of Adventurer Groups had flocked to Bala City, and there was almost nowhere outside the city that hadn't been tread upon.

After pondering for a while, he had no choice but to return to the city and find a hotel to book a room.

He paid a month's worth of rent in one go and instructed the staff not to disturb him. Then, he hid a large box of herbs in the room and opened a portal back to reality.

The next few days were very peaceful. The city-wide anti-terrorism exercise in Su City did not affect his or the other citizens' normal lives.

Consequently, after causing a few small ripples in the pond of the internet, the matter quieted down.

Six days later, Zhang Mu successfully obtained his passport. Dragging his suitcase, he boarded a flight to Ying Country.

Initially, he planned to fly directly to Mexico City. Guns were rampant there, heavy weapons like RPGs were available, and the Government Officials were a mere formality, with almost zero control over the country.

Buying weapons was extremely convenient.

But flying there directly might attract attention.

After all, Mexico City's chaotic state was common knowledge. No one would go to such a country for tourism where their life could be threatened at any moment.

So he thought about staying in Ying Country for a day first, then transferring to Eagle Land, and finally using the Shadow Technique to cross the border on foot into Mexico City.

He would pretend to have no purpose, wandering aimlessly to ensure he didn't show the slightest abnormality.

The flight was fast. After about twelve hours, Zhang Mu, wearing a mask, walked out of London International Airport dragging his suitcase.

His flight was at ten in the morning, and after a twelve-hour journey, it should logically have been ten at night.

However, due to the time difference, it was only two in the afternoon in London, the time when the sun was at its hottest.

After waiting for a while at the pick-up area outside the airport gates, a taxi drove up and stopped in front of him.

Zhang Mu's English was decent, and his communication with the driver was smooth. In a few words, he made it clear he was going to the city center, then got in the car and set off.

An hour later, he arrived at the Kings Cross Station area in the city center. He paid with the pounds he had exchanged in advance and got out. Choosing a direction at random, he wove through the crowd dragging his suitcase.

As he strolled, he curiously scanned his surroundings.

He often saw this city in the news, but this was his first time setting foot in it, so he couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty.

The novelty faded quickly. After a while, Zhang Mu felt it was quite boring, so he found a restaurant, sat down, and ate his fill.

When he paid the bill, the young waitress's gaze was somewhat blatant as she stared at his face, which was revealed since he had taken off his mask to eat.

While giving him change, she chatted with him enthusiastically.

Learning he was there for tourism, she told him that a lively event was being held at Kings Cross Station today. It was quite rare and worth checking out.

His flight to Eagle Land was tomorrow. Since he had to stay here today anyway and had nothing else to do, he decided to go take a look.

Thinking this, Zhang Mu thanked her, walked out of the shop, and slowly wandered toward the station along streets whose style was vastly different from those back home.

Senior sister should have arrived at the Royal Capital by now. From what Andre said, the situation in the Royal Capital seemed quite tense.

What was it about?

Tsk, the teacher didn't leak a word when they left, nor did they leave any contact information for me.

Were they afraid I'd find out they were in a bad situation and go looking for them?

Before leaving, the teacher said to go to the Royal Capital when I was strong enough, but what level of strength counts as strong enough?

Scratching his head in annoyance, Zhang Mu felt a bit depressed. He wished there was a progress bar.

He pondered whether he should go to the Royal Capital to ask Avril after finishing the labyrinth, but then he suppressed the thought.

If his strength wasn't enough to solve the problem, what would be the point of finding out? Aside from burdening them by making them worry about his safety, it would have no positive effect.

At this, Zhang Mu recalled the moment Avril knocked him unconscious that night, just before she turned to lead the Thunder Wolf Leader away.

His right hand unconsciously brushed the corner of his mouth. It was as if, even after so many days, he could still feel a touch of coolness.

His expression became strangely complex. "Senior sister, you woman... don't treat your own life so lightly..."

"Oh!!!"

"Another Muggle! Next, next!"

The noise startled Zhang Mu. He looked up and realized he had unknowingly walked into the railway station hall.

The shouting was coming from the right.

A circle of people was gathered there, packed so tightly that he couldn't see what was happening inside.

Was this the event that person mentioned?

Seeing the cheers rising wave after wave, Zhang Mu curiously approached and squeezed to the front of the crowd.

Everyone was holding up their phones, cameras aimed at a gray wall made of bricks. A luggage cart was embedded in the wall, with only its back half visible, as if the front half had passed through to the world behind the wall.

Next to it stood a sign that read: Platform Nine and Three-Quarters Entrance.

At that moment, someone ran and crashed into the wall, falling down and crying out, "Damn it, it's closed."

Zhang Mu realized that this was a famous filming location from the harry potter movie series, adapted from the novels.

In the movies, this was a Muggle-invisible train platform entrance. This train led to the mysterious Magic Academy—Hogwarts.

So, they were imitating the movie plot?

Zhang Mu had seen this movie.

One scene was about the protagonist and his Classmate being late on the morning the school train departed after the holidays.

The platform entrance closed, and instead of passing through the wall as usual, they slammed into it and fell.

It was quite interesting.

The movie fans were lining up to hit the wall one by one. Zhang Mu stood his suitcase upright and watched with interest.

The fans were quite enthusiastic. Seeing Zhang Mu's foreign face, they warmly invited him to try as well.

"Hey friend, want to try and see if you're a Muggle?"

Startled for a moment, Zhang Mu smiled and waved his hand in refusal. "Thank you very much for the kind invitation, but the Magic Academy is just a fantasy—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Magic Academy?

To Westerners, this concept was the same as a Cultivation Sect to Easterners.

It seemed... to have potential.

Thinking about how he needed to "manifest divinity in public" to pave the way for the future emergence of the transcendent, Zhang Mu felt that a Magic Academy was a great gimmick.

After squinting and pondering for a bit, Zhang Mu turned and squeezed out of the crowd, slipping into a bathroom stall and locking the door.

A Cultivator might not fit in well here, but things like mages and witches were a part of the local culture nurtured for years.

He took out his phone, opened the camera, and switched to the front-facing camera to aim at himself.

Zhang Mu prepared to use the Transformation Technique to construct the image of a mage from the Other World. Those were authentic mages.

Then he thought that reality isn't always what's accepted.

Things that fit people's imagination—even if they defy logic or are completely fabricated rumors—are often easier for people to believe without a doubt.

So, Zhang Mu recalled the scattered movie fragments in his mind.

Soon, a figure appeared that looked seventy percent like Dumbledore.

A short old man with a lush white beard and hair, wearing a black robe that covered his entire body, a pointed wide-brimmed wizard's hat, and holding a wooden staff that looked like a conductor's baton.

The most essential part was the small round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

Looking at the old man on the phone screen, Zhang Mu nodded in satisfaction and put his phone and suitcase into his inventory.

He pushed open the bathroom stall door and walked toward Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, muttering, "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is about to start its term."